Mantis and its regional airline partner, Airlink, sent an envoy of 6 savvy travellers on the familiarisation trip of a lifetime. Industry associates and strangers brought together to experience the ultimate girls’ trip from Johannesburg to Namibia and a few other countries in between.
Our 18-stamp adventure began with a night in Johannesburg. We needed to catch a flight to Botswana the next day, so we chose an experiential convenience rather than convenience for convenience’s sake i.e. sleeping at an airport hotel. The short drive from O.R Tambo to Featherbrooke to overnight at Mantis Vivari Hotel and Spa is a far more superior experience if you have an hour of travelling time to spare. A one-of-kind destination that displaced us from the busy city roads on which we drove in and transfixed us into a haven of utter relaxation. Quiet opulence amidst manicured lawns, a forest-like estate, a brambling river, bunnies, ducks, and secret garden nooks that are perfect for solo retreats to read or think.
South Africa’s premier surgery safari destination; Vivari Hotel and Spa has a soul beyond hotel rooms, the onsite plastic surgery, a world-class spa and top-notch service. Every artistic feature, plush chair, and gourmet meal induces you into a state of complete relaxation and self-indulgence. Come here to be selfish. To pamper your body and soul in the spa, rejuvenate with non-invasive MediScuplt treatments, and eat the kind of food that dances on your palate then goes straight to the cells to fuel you in all the right ways. If you’re busybodies like us, you could find yourself rescuing save ducklings from a gutter between temperature therapy and a pre-dinner swim. The first 18 hours of our trip reset our bodies for holiday mode, and we were ready for the adventure ahead.
We arrived at Kasane International Airport in Botswana in an hour-and-a-half. I stepped off the Airlink airplane fully prepared to be met by a wave of heat. A light cotton jumpsuit, sleeveless cotton tank top and a sun hat that provided a generous circle of shade over my face, neck and shoulders. If your diva barometer is lower than mine, a peak cap and sunscreen for all areas below the chin will work just fine, too.
We were met with anticipation by a gentleman named Sam. He welcomed us warmly, took our luggage and handed us forms to fill in for immigration. Burden-free we filled in our forms and queued together with the other passengers who had to snake along with their baggage. Fooi tog! We felt like VVIPs from that moment right up until we returned to the check-in counter of that very airport three days later. Stamped into Botswana, Sam ushered us to our transfer vehicle which was prepared for a comfortable ride; complete with ice-cold water and air conditioning.
As the second round of passport stamps dried between the leathery covers; Sam placed us in the care of Lucky from Ichingo Chobe River Lodge by Mantis. Lucky assisted us onto his tender boat and off we went across the magnificent Chobe River, out of Botswana towards Impalila Island on the Caprivi Strip of Namibia.
One of our travelling friends is unable to walk long distances as she is living with Multiple sclerosis. Intuitively, Lucky took her filled-in immigration form and went to request permission to appear at Namibian immigration on her behalf. What a thoughtful gesture, and we didn’t even have to ask.
The Zambezi Queen Collection is located on a stunning little salient of Nambia. A paradise only accessible through Botswana. Getting there could be complicated, but the assistance of the Ichingo Chobe River Lodge guide makes it an easy-going gallivant from border to border.
When you arrive on the Namibian side of the Chobe River, where the Zambezi Queen Collection is based, you dock at another makeshift harbour with lots of local activity. We had been out of our own routines for only 24 hours; but the sight of people going on with the business of daily life seemed out of place in this paradise. There were men fixing boats and women gathered under trees waiting for the next water taxi. This harbor is the most active part of Impalila Island that we saw during all our time on the Chobe, but busy in a calm way that is unique to rural life.
With the third set of stamps officiating our arrival in Namibia, we took the pleasant walk on the dusty path that is shaded by trees and returned to the tender boat. We were definitely in another part of Africa, the language spoken around us distinctly foreign yet homely. Warm eyes and bright smiles acknowledged our presence. We were Africans in Africa; safe and sound.
The humming of the engine, swirls and splashes of water beneath us was reverberated by the excited chatter between six ladies. Poor Lucky was inundated with comments, questions and remarks, unclear which needed to be answered and which were just loud thoughts that escaped between the bouts of conversation and spellbound silence. Our gracious guide entertained every word as he expertly navigated the shallow river towards Ichingo Chobe River Lodge by Mantis. All the while showing us crocodiles basking in the sunlight, interpreting bird calls and explaining how each of these moments was unique to the season in which we had chosen to visit. Wow!
From December to March, the Chobe region is typically in the height of summer with the highest level of rainfall. In February, the rain levels start receding, the pans in the National Park are full and there is less animal life on the river banks. We were very fortunate. The heat is not uncomfortable, especially while in the care of the ZQ team; they have a knack for pouring cold drinks at the perfect moments. The evenings are warm, with a cooling breeze when on board the Chobe Princess; perfect for Amarula Coffee nightcaps – the signature ritual of our trip. The amphibious denizens have just been through their birth season, so there are babies everywhere, but the fishing is only for fun-and-games as there are many restrictions in place to give them a chance to grow. One lucky lady with a slick cast caught and released a big fat catfish. That was a terrific highlight during our trip. Underwhelming little crocs, cute hippos and mischievous baby monkeys played along the Botswana side of the river banks.
We’re South Africans, we only need to drive a few minutes out of our hometown to see mega herds of elephants and other wildlife, but there is an absolute purity in approaching animals by water. We were privy to a social occasion shared by different species that were gingerly aware of each other while bonding with their kind.
The baboons played the fool and taunted their tiniest members with climbing challenges far beyond the capabilities of the short limbs, but those youngsters never conceded. They got up from each tumble and climbed again. A herd of antelope cantered down the banks to arrange themselves along the water’s edge; probably aware of the hippos submerged under the water just a few metres away. A close-knit sounder of warthogs marched in with a few so-ugly-almost-cute piglets. I couldn’t stop myself from humming the Circle of Life from the Lion King until the news of an actual lion in the vicinity sent us revving upstream. Sadly we missed all the action, but the following two days on the Chobe Princess gave us the best vantage of the Chobe National Park and we traversed passed a herd of almost one-hundred elephants the very next day.
Sunset views over the river always held the silhouettes of yawning hippos as they got ready to leave the water to graze. This was just as we settled down to hear Chef Edgar’s dinner time tales of delicious three-course menus prepared especially for the six of us. We had the entire houseboat to ourselves, attended to by a chef, two hosts, a waiter/housekeeper, and a guide. Five males who kept the boat in immaculate condition treated us like royalty, and punctuated our nights with a round of Amarula coffees.
As we glided across the water; the stark difference in the landscapes that flanked us was just unbelievable. The Botswana side starts off as sandy banks which form dongas at some points and then flourishes into thickets and dense trees over hilly terrain. This is the Chobe National Park, so this side of the river is alive with animals and birds. We saw many different species and spotted up to five African Fish Eagles a day.
The Zambezi Queen collection of luxury houseboats and Ichingo Chobe River Lodge is based in the Caprivi Strip; a salient of Nambia that juts out to form the meeting point of the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers as they flow from Angola, Botswana and Namibia towards the Victoria Falls of Zambia and Zimbabwe. There we were, sitting pretty with easy access to a Wonder of the World. It took a few phone calls by the manager of the Ichingo Chobe River Lodge and we had a day trip to Victoria Falls.
Our guide set off at 07:30 with a cooler box of cold drinks, and placed us in the hands of a young, sassy lady named Charlie. She was an angel Rockstar who zipped us through Botswana and Zimbabwe immigration and got us to Victoria Falls by 10:00. We walked the bridge into Zambia for optimal photo-ops with the falls in the background. The magic of this wonder was spell-bounding. I will remember my first view of the gushing white waterfall for the rest of my life. We went back into the Vic Falls National Park, walked the 16 points and came out soaked. To our greatest delight, the coffee shop serves their cappuccinos with a dash of Amarula; our holiday ritual had followed us all the way to Zim.
What unfolded over our three-day trip is everything girls would dream of for the ultimate adventure with friends. A special place in Africa with people who take care of you like very important, very distant cousins.
You see in most African cultures, the more distant the relative, the bigger the fuss that is made over them when they visit. They get the best spot to sleep, the best blankets, the best cut of meat, the finest drinks, a special meal is prepared on their arrival and a gift made ready for them to take home when they leave.
Guess what we received as our going-home gift? On our first night at Ichingo Chobe River Lodge, waiting for us on our beds was a miniature bottle of Amarula and Africa-shaped coasters. How becoming; our shared adventure was meant to forge the Amarula Coffee Gang.
As I sat on the Airlink flight back to South Africa and sipped my last Amarula Coffee of the trip; I thought about my distant cousins and how I envied them as a child. We saw them once every couple of years and I just never understood the lengths my mother and grandmother went to give them things we never got. I grew older and able to read the letters they sent during the times they were unable to visit. I could feel the fondness and deep appreciation between the lines that recounted the stories we shared around the fire, waking up with the sun to fetch water and how they missed the smell of my mother’s raisin bread. The memories kept us in their hearts until they were able to return to our home. I too, cherish the memories we created at Ichingo Chobe River Lodge and Chobe Princess 3; they will carry me back to this special place where I felt at home and was spoilt like a distant relative.
